Sandy Barbour Agrees To Contract Extension
Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour announced that she agreed to a contract extension on Monday, keeping her in charge of the Nittany Lions’ 31 athletic programs for the foreseeable future.
The contract agreement is subject to approval by the Board of Trustees. Barbour reaffirmed her commitment to Penn State’s athletic program at a press conference ahead of the Citrus Bowl, saying that she wants to stick around Happy Valley for a long time.
“I’ve told you all before: this is my last stop,” she said. “Where would I want to go that’s a better opportunity, a better fit for me? This next contract will certainly help me do that.”
Barbour, the first female athletic director in Penn State history, was brought on as Penn State’s athletic director in July 2014 after spending 10 years as California’s athletic director. She previously served as Tulane’s AD from 1996-1999 before holding roles as the associate and deputy athletic director at Notre Dame from 2000-2004.
The Annapolis, MD native was named the athletic director of the year by the NACDA after leading the program to nine conference titles and a national championship in the 2016-17 season. The Sports Business Journal also named her a finalist for their athletic director of the year award in 2018.
Forbes recognized Barbour as one of the most powerful women in sports and the 24th-most powerful person in all of college athletics. The Nittany Lions have won a total of five team NCAA championships and 23 conference titles throughout Barbour’s tenure.
On top of Penn State’s success on the field, court, and ice over the past four years, Barbour is currently overseeing a master plan to renovate more than 20 of the Nittany Lions’ existing athletic facilities. The athletic director previously oversaw the transformation of Greenberg Ice Pavilion — the former home of Penn State’s club-level hockey team — into the Morgan Academic Center for student-athletes.
She also helped bring the first-ever concert to Beaver Stadium in July 2017, and the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres played two preseason games at Pegula Ice Arena in 2016 and 2017.
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